October 25 -- BrightSource Energy has landed $80 million in equity investments that will help the solar energy company expand its operations to new geographic territories. The financing round for the developer of solar thermal equipment was led by France-based Alstom and San Bruno-based VantagePoint Capital Partners. >>View Article

As we move into a future of limited natural resources, the need for sustainability has become more apparent. The second day of REFF-West had an engaging panel of experts including- Neil Black, President of Califonia BioEnergy, Dan Oros, Partner of Kleiner Perkins, Ari Swiller, President of Renewable Resources Group, Michel Gelobter, Founder and Chairman of Cooler, Damon Yuzon, Principal CFA of Wastewater Capital Management, and Paul Owen, National sales manager of Caterpillar Financial Australia – highlight the role of renewable energy in addressing resource scarcity and opportunities generated by it.

The second day of REFF-West began with an impassioned call for California’s renewable energy community to engage with all Californians and build a popular movement thatwill benefit everyone. Senator Kevin de León, speaking before a room of renewable energy financiers and developers, retraced the history of the recently passed Prop 39, and how the groundswell of support from minority communities was a signature achievement of Prop 39’s passing.

Small renewable projects represent a market that has not been fully taken advantage of, mainly due to issues relating with their access to financing. This doesn’t refer that the projects itself have issues, but implies that lenders mainly involved in project finance are more interested in larger projects, which involve sums over USD 100 million. Those projects are able to support the costs of a time intensive transaction and the corresponding fees, and represent a good opportunity of striking a good deal by achieving financial closing to most parties for the amounts involved. However, this doesn’t imply that small projects are not a lucrative market to be exploited and clearly represents a business opportunity.

The Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF-West) kicked off its first day with a lively debate about whether the West really is exceptional when it comes to the outlook for renewables. The panel of experts weighing in included Terry Grant of Marathon Capital, Barney Schauble of Nephila Advisors LLC, Nancy Pfund of DBL Investors, J. Radford Small of Goldman Sachs, Rob Sternthal of Reznick, and Tracey A. LeBeau of the Western Area Power Administration. Renewable energy technologies, mature or maturing, are generally situated in three contexts: the policy landscape, the surrounding physical grid they serve, and the financial markets.

The western United States’ remarkable renewable energy resource availability, supportive policies, and well-developed supply chains have transformed western states into national leaders in renewable energy development. In 2012, the 13 western states attracted more than half of the country’s combined venture capital, private equity and asset finance investment in the renewable energy sector, and produced approximately 31% of their total energy generation from renewable energy sources – compared to roughly 12% nationally (sources: Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA)).

“Washington can be a tough place”, said John MacWilliams, senior adviser to the Secretary of Energy, in his understated manner. “Luckily, we have a president who deeply cares about these issues [renewables and climate change], and he has appointed a Secretary of Energy who is uniquely qualified to address those issues.”

September 26 -- As Southern California Edison scrambles to replace the 2,200 megawatts of critical power it lost with the closure of the San Onofre nuclear power plant, the utility appears to be cutting another source from its energy mix — geothermal power from the Salton Sea. >>View Article

September 25 -- BrightSource Energy’s massive solar farm in a remote corner of California delivered its first flow of power to the grid, an important step for demonstrating that the project is on the final path to become a fully operating power plant, the company said Tuesday. >>View Article

September 11 -- Solar panels are the next granite countertops: an amenity for new homes that’s becoming a standard option for buyers in U.S. markets. At least six of 10 largest U.S. homebuilders led by KB Home include the photovoltaic devices in new construction, according to supplier SunPower Corp. (SPWR:US) Two California towns are mandating installations, and demand for the systems that generate electricity at home will jump 56 percent nationwide this year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. >>View Article